IMAGE ACQUISITION METHOD, DEVICE AND RADIOGRAPHY SYSTEM

• US 20100290707A1
• Filed: 05/11/2010
• Published: 11/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jabri, Kadri, Ni, Xianfeng, Zhang, Tiantian, Wang, Dejun, Li, Huanzhong
• Application Number:
  US12/777,414
• Publication Number:
  US 20100290707A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/190
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4441 the rigid structure being a C-arm or U-arm
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/469 for selecting a region of interest [ROI]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5241 combining overlapping images of the same imaging modality, e.g. by stitching

Abstract

An image acquisition method includes determining the starting position, the ending position of a region of interest, and the value of overlap of the region of interest in the two adjacent sub-images, calculating the number of the sub-images required to be captured, the component of field of view at the direction of tube movement and the positions of the tube and the detector corresponding to each sub-image based on the starting position and the ending position of a region of interest and the value of the overlap. The method also includes moving the tube and the detector to each position and capturing the region of interest to obtain sub-images at the positions, and pasting the several sub-images together to form an image of the said region of interest.

Claims

1. An image acquisition method for imaging regions of interest of patients by a radiography system that includes a tube and a detector disposed on opposite positions, said image acquisition method comprising:

determining starting and an ending position of a region of interest, and a value of an overlap of the region of interest in two adjacent sub-images;

calculating a number of sub-images required to be captured, a component of field of view at a direction of tube movement, and positions of the tube and the detector corresponding to each sub-image based on the starting position and the ending position of the region of interest and the value of the overlap;

moving the tube and the detector to each position and capturing the region of interest to obtain sub-images at the positions; and

pasting the sub-images together to form an image of the region of interest.

2. The image acquisition method according to claim 1, wherein calculating comprises:

calculating a patient coverage on a plane of the region of interest based on the starting position and the ending position of the region of interest;

calculating the number of the sub-images required to be captured based on the patient coverage, a distance from the detector incident plane to a plane of the region of interest, a distance from a focus to the detector incident plane, and the value of the overlap;

calculating a component of the field of view at the direction of the tube movement based on the number of the sub-images required to be captured, the distance from the detector incident plane to the plane of the region of interest, the distance from the focus to the detector incident plane and the value of the overlap; and

calculating the positions of the tube and the detector corresponding to each sub-image based on the patient coverage, the component of the field of view at the direction of the tube movement, the distance from the detector incident plane to the plane of the region of interest, and the number of sub-images.

3. The image acquisition method according to claim 2, wherein pasting comprises:

removing at least a portion of information in the sub-images;

determining a search scope as required in registering of the adjacent images sub-images based on the overlap value of the region of interest in the two adjacent sub-images;

determining relative positions matched between the adjacent sub-images by calculating similarities between the adjacent sub-images based on the search scope;

performing image merging on corresponding pixels of the adjacent sub-images based on the relative positions; and

conducting vertical equalization of the merged image.

4. The image acquisition method according to claim 1, wherein the value of the overlap is from 5 cm to 7 cm.

12. The image acquisition method according to claim 2, wherein the value of the overlap is from 5 cm to 7 cm.

13. The image acquisition method according to claim 3, wherein the value of the overlap is from 5 cm to 7 cm.

5. An image acquisition device for imaging regions of interest of patients with a radiography system that includes a tube and a detector disposed on opposite positions, said image acquisition device comprises:

a determination unit configured to determine a starting and an ending position of a region of interest, and a value of an overlap of the region of interest in two adjacent sub-images;

a calculation unit configured to calculate a number of sub-images required to be obtained, a component of field of view at a direction of tube movement as well as a plurality of positions of the tube and the detector corresponding to each sub-image based on the starting position and the ending position of the region of interest and the value of the overlap;

a capturation unit configured to move the tube and the detector to each position and to capture the region of interest to obtain sub-images at the plurality of positions; and

a pasting unit configured to paste the sub-images together to form an image of the region of interest.

6. The image acquisition device according to claim 5, wherein said calculation unit comprises:

a first unit configured to calculate a patient coverage on a plane of the region of interest based on the starting position and the ending position of the region of interest;

a second unit configured to calculate the number of sub-images required to be captured based on the patient coverage, a distance from a detector incident plane to a plane of the region of interest, a distance from a focus to the detector incident plane and the value of the overlap;

a third unit configured to calculate a component of the field of view at the direction of the tube movement based on the number of sub-images required to be captured, the distance from the detector incident plane to the plane of the region of interest, the distance from the focus to the detector incident plane and the value of the overlap; and

a fourth unit configured to calculate the plurality of positions of the tube and the detector corresponding to each sub-image based on the patient coverage, the component of the field of view at the direction of the tube movement, the distance from the detector incident plane to the plane of the region of interest, and the number of sub-images.

7. The image acquisition device according to claim 6, wherein said pasting unit further comprises:

a cutting unit configured to remove at least a portion of information in the sub-images;

a search scope determining unit configured to determine a search scope as required in registering of the adjacent sub-images based on the overlap value of the region of interest in the two adjacent sub-images;

a relative position determining unit configured to determine relative positions matched between the adjacent sub-images from calculating similarities between the adjacent sub-images based on the search scope;

a merging unit configured to perform image merging on corresponding pixels of the adjacent sub-images based on the relative positions; and

a vertical equalization unit configured to conduct vertical equalization of the merged image.

8. The image acquisition device according to claim 5, wherein the value of the overlap is from 5 cm to 7 cm.

14. The image acquisition device according to claim 6, wherein the value of the overlap is from 5 cm to 7 cm.

15. The image acquisition device according to claim 7, wherein the value of the overlap is from 5 cm to 7 cm.

16. The image acquisition device according to claim 6, wherein said capturation device is configured to move the tube along a tube moving plane that is substantially parallel to the detection incident plane.

9. A radiography system, said radiography system comprises system comprising:

a tube and a detector disposed on opposite positions; and

an image acquisition device comprising;

a determination unit configured to determine a starting and an ending position of a region of interest, and a value of an overlap of the region of interest in two adjacent sub-images;

a calculation unit configured to calculate a number of sub-images required to be obtained, a component of field of view at a direction of tube movement as well as a plurality of positions of the tube and the detector corresponding to each sub-image based on the starting position and the ending position of the region of interest and the value of the overlap;

a capturation unit configured to move the tube and the detector to each position and to capture the region of interest to obtain sub-images at the plurality of positions; and

a pasting unit configured to paste the sub-images together to form an image of the region of interest.

10. The radiography system according to claim 9, wherein said calculation unit comprises:

a first unit configured to calculate a patient coverage on a plane of the region of interest based on the starting position and the ending position of the region of interest;

a second unit configured to calculate the number of sub-images required to be captured based on the patient coverage, a distance from a detector incident plane to a plane of the region of interest, a distance from a focus to the detector incident plane and the value of the overlap;

a third unit configured to calculate a component of the field of view at the direction of the tube movement based on the number of sub-images required to be captured, the distance from the detector incident plane to the plane of the region of interest, the distance from the focus to the detector incident plane and the value of the overlap; and

a fourth unit configured to calculate the plurality of positions of the tube and the detector corresponding to each sub-image based on the patient coverage, the component of the field of view at the direction of the tube movement, the distance from the detector incident plane to the plane of the region of interest, and the number of sub-images.

11. The radiography system according to claim 10, wherein said pasting unit comprises:

a cutting unit configured to remove at least a portion of information in the sub-images;

a search scope determining unit configured to determine a search scope as required in registering of the adjacent sub-images based on the overlap value of the region of interest in the two adjacent sub-images;

a relative position determining unit configured to determine relative positions matched between the adjacent sub-images from calculating similarities between the adjacent sub-images based on the search scope;

a merging unit configured to perform image merging on corresponding pixels of the adjacent sub-images based on the relative positions; and

a vertical equalization unit configured to conduct vertical equalization of the merged image.

17. The radiography system according to claim 9, wherein the value of the overlap is from 5 cm to 7 cm.

18. The radiography system according to claim 10, wherein the value of the overlap is from 5 cm to 7 cm.

19. The radiography system according to claim 11, wherein the value of the overlap is from 5 cm to 7 cm.

20. The radiography system according to claim 10, wherein said capturation device is configured to move said tube along a tube moving plane that is substantially parallel to the detection incident plane.